Blood on the Moon
by CherryScented44
Summary: Chapter 4 up A story about what might have happened if Jacob and the boys had arrived at the meadow just a few moments later, in 'New Moon', and Laurent had got his hands on Bella...enjoy and please read and review! Rated for future adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

Note: My first 'Twilight' story about what might have happened if Jacob and the boys had arrived at the meadow just a few moments later in 'New Moon'...enjoy and please read and review :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or plot lines from 'Twilight' and 'New Moon'. The first part of this chapter (the writing in italics) is by Stephenie Meyer, not myself. Just clearing that up.

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_Laurent shook his head, his face kind. "Look at it this way, Bella. You're lucky I was the one to find you."_

_"Am I?" I mouthed, faltering another step back. _

_Laurent followed, lithe and graceful._

_"Yes," he assured me. "I'll be very quick. You won't feel a thing, I promise. Oh, I'll lie to Victoria about that later, naturally, just to placate her. But if you knew what she had planned for you, Bella…" He shook his head with a slow movement, almost as if in disgust. "I swear you'd be thanking me for this."_

_I stared at him in horror._

_He sniffed at the breeze that blew threads of my hair in his direction. "Mouthwatering," he repeated, inhaling deeply._

_I tensed for the spring, my eyes squinting as I cringed away, and the sound of Edward's furious roar echoed distantly in the back of my head. His name burst through all the walls I'd built to contain it. _Edward, Edward, Edward. _I was going to die. It shouldn't matter if I thought of him now. _Edward, I love you.

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He had lied to me. 

He had told me that I wouldn't feel a thing, but he was lying. I did feel it.

I felt the moment that his razor sharp teeth pierced my throat as if my skin was nothing more than tissue paper.

I felt it as he began to draw out my blood, swiftly and mercilessly.

And I felt it when his teeth were ripped away from my throat and my body crumpled beneath me.

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It's a strange thing, dying. When Laurent's teeth first broke through my skin I wasn't really thinking about the pain, all that was running through my mind was that that was it - my number was finally up. Laurent would succeed where Tyler's truck, James and Jasper had all failed…Bella Swann's natural affinity for dangerous situations was finally getting the better of her. 

I had a lot of time to think about these things as the frenzied vampire held me in his tight embrace, drinking away my life, drop by drop. I'm not sure how long he held me there - it could have been a hundred years or just a few seconds, but however long it actually lasted, it felt like an eternity. My mind became strangely clear during those fateful moments, not clouded and vague as you might expect it to become in your dying moments. No, everything seemed very simple and there was only one person that I thought about, there was only one person that I could possibly think about.

Edward.

Maybe I should have spared a few thoughts for Charlie and Renée, but at the time only Edward came to my mind and I was glad. I had experienced what few other people had – true love. Proper, fairy tale, happy-ever-after love. Well, of course it hadn't ended happily ever after, but I had still felt it and I would never have traded a single second my time with him; not to erase all those months after he left…not even to have had Laurent decide to let me live. I'd go through it all a thousand times before I gave up my time with Edward and I'd do it with a smile on my face.

But I didn't need to think about all that, because, after only a few seconds, something huge and black leapt at Laurent, ripping his teeth out of my neck, leaving me to fall to the ground, where everything finally went black.

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It was only a few moments before the searing pain in my neck brought me back to consciousness. It was so much worse than the pain I had felt in my hand, when James had bitten me, so much worse. It felt like someone was strangling me, their hands ablaze with fire, as I choked for the air that my lungs were screaming out for. At first the pain was only local, the flames violently scorching my throat – I truly believed that if someone were to look at me they would see my skin cracking and blackening beneath my hands as I clawed at my skin. I was trying to beat out the flames, but if I had had to tear off my skin to stop the pain I would have. It was that excruciating. 

Then the pain quickly began to spread. It was as if the fire was being carried to every inch of my body in my very blood, and if it wasn't for the blazing pain that was driving me to the brink of insanity, I probably would have realised that that was exactly what was happening – the venom was travelling through my veins to the rest of my body. There was no escape from it – the fire was consuming me.

I don't know if I was screaming or if the flames had burnt away my vocal cords, leaving me unable to cry for help or even express the agony I was going through. Who would answer anyway? I was in the middle of the woods and I'd told no one I was coming here. Only Jacob knew that I had been looking for this place, but he would never look for me here once they realised I was missing. It would be too late by then any way – I'd be dead. Whatever that meant.

Of course, if I had been in the right state of mind to be conscious of my surroundings, I might have noticed the pack of giant wolves ripping Laurent to pieces just twenty feet away from me. I would have been able to hear his agonised screams, mingled with the guttural snarls from the wolves as their teeth slashed away at his flesh and their jaws crushed his bones to shards. I would have seen the wolves step away from the bloodied mass of flesh and bones, which sullied the once beautiful meadow, and I would have seen their canine bodies twisting and writhing back into human form. But of course I couldn't concentrate on anything beyond my own immeasurable pain – that was more than enough to occupy my mind.

All I wanted was to die, for this unendurable torment to end, but I didn't even know if I'd be given the luxury of unconsciousness. It felt as if this pain would last forever. All I could hear was a deafening roaring in my ears and I didn't know if it was the Edward of my subconscious, raging at what had happened, or my blood streaming erratically around my skull, spreading the venom along with it. I could no longer control any part of my body – I felt trapped and paralysed, but my body was writhing in agony of its own accord. I didn't even feel the strong arms scoop me up and carry me, unnaturally quickly, through the forest. The wind rushing past had no cooling effect on my burning body, did nothing to quench the flames which enveloped me – I was too far gone. Nothing could save me now.

Despite the pain I still managed to repeat four words over and over again in my mind…

* * *

I don't remember much from those three days. Apart from the beginning, which I remember as vividly as I felt the pain at the time, and a few flashes of images from I don't know when. There was one person who sat by me for what seemed like the whole transformation, holding a cold flannel to my forehead, anxiously calling my name, pinning me down when I lost control… 

There were arguments too…enraged voices demanding that something be done with me…I couldn't stay in the house…did he have any idea what I was turning into?...the risks were too high… At the time I had no idea what they were talking about. Sometimes I knew what was happening to me, other times I thought I'd died and was in Hell, and other times I thought that there was nothing more than the pain – absolute and forever.

I had no idea what trouble I was causing, what rifts I was creating between a pack once so tight and unbreakable. Some wished they'd left me out in the forest, others wanted me killed immediately, and others, one in particular, wanted to help me, wished that they'd arrived at the meadow just a few moments earlier. Just a few moments and they would have been able to stop Laurent in his tracks as he reached out for me, his teeth bared in a feral snarl…they would have been able to prevent what I was going through…prevent the pain they were feeling - well, _one_ of them was feeling - at watching me going through such hideous torment.

Between these moments of consciousness and the utter blackness that I fell into when the pain become too much to bear, I dreamt. Or perhaps a better word would be hallucinated because I don't think I slept at all during those three days. I had slept for the last time the night before I ventured out to the meadow and I would never sleep again. I saw many things during those three days – some I wanted to see, some made me concentrate on the pain so I wouldn't have to see them… I saw Edward lying next to me in the meadow, his skin sparking like diamonds…I saw Alice dressing me up like a Barbie before the prom…I saw Charlie's face break into a smile when I made a joke about his cooking…but I also saw Charlie's face when he heard how the Cullens had left without a word…I saw Edward's gaze, empty of love as he told me he didn't want me…and I saw Laurent, advancing on me, his eyes crimson with blood lust. Those and hundreds more flitted through my mind, some mere glimpses, others so real that I thought that their subjects were standing close enough for me to reach out and touch them.

This lasted for three days. Laurent's bite had lasted long enough for enough venom to get into my blood stream to make the transition last the normal amount of time, rather than go on into more hours of unbearable suffering… When I awoke I was in a strange room in a strange bed…and I smelt blood.

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	2. Chapter 2

Note: I had already written the second chapter so I figured I might as well put it up. Thanks for the reviews of chapter 1, all are appreciated! Enjoy the second chapter:)

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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I smelled blood…and it no longer smelled like the usual rust and salt that used to make me nauseous…it smelled like…words couldn't describe. It was unbelievable…like all my favourite scents rolled into one in a mouthwatering concoction that was seductively tickling the back of my throat. This sudden thought of my throat made me violently aware of how dry it was and just how…_thirsty _I was…it was ridiculous…a thousand gallons of water could never quench this thirst. And then I realised that there was a reason that they wouldn't…my tastes were more - how should I put it? - more _acquired_ now.

My head instinctively darted from side to side, with reflexes faster than I thought possible for my fragile frame to manage, to scan my surroundings. The room was small and dark, with everything a normal bedroom would have – a normal wardrobe, a normal desk, a normal bed…except this bed had restraints attached to the bed frame…restraints which held me firmly, preventing me from getting up. At the time I had no idea that I was more than strong enough to break free from the ties – they didn't have a hope in Hell against my new found strength – so I lay there, exasperated, an alien growl emerging from deep within my chest. The sound shocked me – was I making it? It was such an…_animal _sound…feral and primitive. Just like the sounds _he_ would make when he was angry…but I wouldn't think of him now, I couldn't.

Instead I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, even though I knew that it wasn't necessary any more.

"Hey! Hey, is anyone out there? Let me out!" My voice thundered at a volume that shocked me to my core – if anyone else had been in the room it would have surely deafened them.

No one came for ten or so minutes and all the while I lay there, alternating between calling out and lying still, trying to ignore the burning thirst that was building up in my throat.

Finally the door creaked open slowly and two dark figures walked cautiously in. Even though the thirst was intensifying at a startling rate I felt no urge to taste the blood of these boys…they smelled disgusting – of wet dog and other things not worth thinking about.

They obviously saw the grimace on my face because one of them – the slightly shorter one – laughed grimly. "Well I guess that's it. She's defiantly one of them. We smell bad to her."

The other one said nothing, but even in the darkness I could clearly see who it was – my eyes had grown steadily more accustomed to the darkness since I had woken up and now I could see as clearly as if it was midday. It was Sam Uley.

The animal growl built up in my chest once more, immediately setting the shorter boy on edge. He crouched into an almost predatory stance, as if he was waiting to pounce. I didn't know this one, he wasn't important. Sam placed his hand onto the boy's shoulder and he immediately relaxed. I definitely remembered Sam. He was the one that had found me that night that…I wouldn't think about that…he was the one who Jacob was so afraid of…he was the one that stole Jacob from me.

I was surprised by these intense feelings of anger and resentment at this man who stood, towering above me, reeking and ominous – there was something that wasn't human about this boy.

"What are you?" I snarled, pulling against my restraints.

He took a step closer to me, examining me like some science exhibit. "We are werewolves and you're a vampire – our sworn enemies."

My roar even unsettled Sam. Even though what he said sounded ridiculous I knew he wasn't human. I knew because I wasn't either.

"Werewolves?" I spat, "You expect me to believe that? Don't be-"

"You believe in vampires. Why should the idea of werewolves be any more difficult to grasp?"

I stared at him incredulously, silenced by his irritating logic. He had a point.

"Ok," I growled. "So you're werewolves. And I'm…how did you put it? You're 'sworn enemy'?"

Sam shook his head and sighed. "Not just you – all your kind. We are the way we are simply to combat the plague of the cold ones. You're lucky you're still alive."

I didn't growl at that, instead I laughed bitterly as my memory of that long ago day at the beach with Jacob came flooding back to me. Werewolves and vampires. I should have known.

My laugh died down as I realised the seriousness of my situation. I didn't know if I could take on these werewolves…I didn't even know how many of them there were. It startled me that I even thought about the possibility of succeeding in a fight against them. As a human I would have tried to defend myself, but the idea of being strong enough to do any good would have been laughable. Now I seriously weighed up my chances.

"So, what are you going to do with me?"

Sam sighed again and exchanged a look with the boy next to him. "We haven't decided yet. But rest assured you-"

"BELLA!" Jacob's familiar voice called to me, from the other side of the door, almost as loud as I could shout. Sam and the boy turned quickly to the door, as Jacob burst through, running straight into Sam's unmovable form, ignoring his presence and rushing to my bedside.

"Jacob, no!" Sam cried, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him away.

Jacob turned aggressively on him. "Let me go – she's awake! Why didn't you tell me?"

Sam gripped him by the shoulders, making him face him straight on. "Your mind isn't clear – your feelings for her wont let it be. But it isn't the same Bella you knew, Jacob, she's _changed_."

I snarled and Jacob's head snapped towards me, a look of bemusement mixed with horror etched across his face. The look of horror gradually melted into utter sadness as he bowed his head and clenched his fists at his side. He was disgusted by me. And this made me angry because his…_unusual _smell told me that he was one of them too. And I wasn't disgusted by it.

"Don't you look at me like that, Jacob Black." I growled, his eyes suddenly filling with confusion. "I know what you are – we're both monsters so don't look at me like I'm something you stepped on! This isn't how I wanted it to be! I-"

"This isn't how I wanted it to be either, Bella!" He interrupted, falling to his knees by my side. "I didn't want this for you! I'm not sickened by you – _never _think that- I just can't believe that this has happened, I _hate _myself for letting it happen!"

I was confused. Why was he beating himself up over it? Then I realised – the things in the meadow that had attacked Laurent – it had been them.

A laugh caught in my throat as I shook my head. "It was you – you ripped Laurent away from me…stopping him from killing me there and then." I looked up, into his eyes that had once held so much comfort for me. "Why? Why didn't you finish off what he started? Why didn't you leave me there?"

Jacob's eyes filled with hurt at my words and he looked as if he was searching for words to answer me.

"Do you think we'd really leave you to turn into a filthy blood-sucker unchecked?" The other boy interjected, causing my head to snap towards him, my teeth bared.

"Shut up, Paul!" Jacob roared, getting up and cornering the boy against the wall. Sam placed his arm across Jacob's chest, holding him back.

"What?!" Paul replied, his roar not quite as powerful as Jacob's. "Just because you're in love with that filthy leech, it doesn't mean that we have to treat her like a stinking _princess_. Remember your loyalties, Jacob. She's just as bad as those disgusting Cullens – we should have killed them all while we had the chance!"

At that my rage took over and I heaved against the restraints, breaking them as if they were no more than ribbons. Before I knew what I was doing I had flown across the room, my hands reaching out to crush Paul's skull with my bare hands. I had never known such anger, such a fierce desire to utterly destroy someone. If I hadn't been so blinded by my rage I might have scared myself, but instead I focused on the attack, roaring as the bulky figures of Sam and Jacob forced me back onto the bed, pinning me down.

Sam, his hands still firmly holding my legs, turned his head towards a livid looking Paul. "Get out, Paul! We can handle it!"

Confusion flickered across Paul's face, but after a moment he turned and left, without a word, slamming the door behind him.

Jacob looked into my face, anxiety and remorse clear in his eyes, as I struggled against his steel grip, my teeth still bared, a feline hissing coming from my throat.

"Calm down, Bella! For God's sake, _please _calm down." He looked as if he might start crying any second and it took all my self control to restrain my burning desire to break free and hunt Paul down for his words. No one talks about the Cullens like that, _no one. _

I steadied myself and I felt Jacob's grip loosen slightly, but I also noticed how Sam's just tightened. I closed my eyes and focused on subduing my rage, but taking my attention away from it meant that my attention had to go elsewhere – and it went onto my unbearable thirst. I didn't know how much longer I could stand it – if they didn't let me go soon I'd take one of them right there and then, regardless of their stench.

I opened my eyes, knowing that they'd be pitch black, and looked into Jacob's. "Listen to me, Jacob, you have to let me go. Do you understand? You _have _to."

Comprehension dawned across his face. "No, Bella," he choked out, barely above a whisper. "Please, Bella, no."

"I don't have a choice," I replied, through clenched teeth, trying desperately not to look at the vein that was pulsing tantalisingly in his neck.

Sam broke in, drawing my gaze towards him…he was young and muscular…he would be full of think, hot bl- no! I wouldn't.

"We can't risk her hurting anyone – new born vampires have no self control."

"I'm controlling myself now, aren't I?" I snapped. I turned back to Jacob and sighed. "I would never hurt anyone, Jacob, _never_. You _know _me, Jacob, I couldn't _do _that - never."

His face was filled with utter conflict. He wanted to believe me, but he probably didn't want to give into hope.

"I'll do what the Cullens did – just hunt animals. I don't want to hurt people, Jacob, I swear…but if you don't let me go _right now _I might end up doing that. It's not what I want, so let me go before I'm too far gone…_please_."

His face dissolved into a stony resolution and he nodded. He took his hands off me and stood up, turning away from me. Sam still held me down and he didn't look as convinced as Jacob.

"The word of a vampire holds no sway for me, but Jacob trusts you. Don't break it." His words were cold and slow. "You will be followed – we are as fast as you and as strong as you. You are to go straight into the woods, in the opposite direction of the town, and then you can do what you like to those pitiable creatures."

I tried to ignore the disgust that was hidden behind his cold exterior and tried to get up. But he wasn't finished yet.

"If you go anywhere near the town, and I mean _anywhere_, we will not hesitate to kill you. Do you understand? There are enough of us to kill you without Jacob's help."

I knew that acting aggressively towards him now wouldn't help my case so instead I controlled myself and kept hold of his gaze, unyielding. He still wasn't letting go.

"Once you have…satisfied your thirst…" He wasn't even trying to hide his disgust now, "…you are to leave our territory and, if you know what's good for you, you'll leave Forks all together - leave and never come back."

At that I nearly lost my cool and a strained growl escaped from my throat. This…this…_dog _was not going to drive me from my home. I'd stay off their land, but he had _no _say about what I did elsewhere.

His grip tightened. "Understand?"

I met his gaze with just as much venom as his held. "I understand." I replied, accentuating each syllable so it could get through his thick skull. "Just let me go – you are putting people in harm by keeping me here and you know it."

At that Sam lost control for the first time in our encounter, even if only for a moment. He snarled and got up, letting me go and storming out. I could hear his voice from the other side of the house – he was calling for reinforcements. They were all going to follow me.

I quickly got up and was about to climb effortlessly through the window, when I remembered Jacob was still in the room. I stopped still and turned to him. He looked torn between wanting to turn away, just as Sam did, and wanting to pull me into an embrace. But I knew that if he did that, my teeth would have pierced his throat before I'd even realise what was going on.

I took a tentative step forward and reached out my hand to lightly touch his cheek. The heat of it shocked me and he reacted the same way to my cold skin, flinching and taking a step back. I couldn't bear this. I couldn't have him looking at me like that.

"Goodbye, Jake," I whispered and I disappeared into the night.

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	3. Chapter 3

Note: Thank you so much for all the positive reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please read and review :)

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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The trees flitted past me, barely making an impression on my vision – just endless columns of shadows – yet somehow I managed to move between them with such ease and speed that, if I hadn't been driven to the point of madness by my unbelievable thirst, I would have been happy to spend all night simply revelling in this new found ability. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before – it was one thing to be the passenger, but it was quite another to be the one in control.

But I was barely in control. Everything in me screamed out for blood to satisfy my burning hunger – it had gone beyond the point of skirting round the subject. I needed blood and I needed it now.

I knew very well that there were four young werewolves, fully morphed, following my every move, at a safe distance. My senses were growing more and more refined by the second and now I could clearly distinguish between their scents. Sam stood out most of all – a repulsive stench of damp and waste – and I knew that he was only two hundred yards behind me, moving at an impressive speed, but still a fraction slower than me. Even in my current state I could still feel a hint of smugness at that – the alpha male had overestimated himself.

Jacob wasn't there. I had known that as soon as they'd started following me – he'd remained behind. He obviously wasn't up for the hunt tonight, unlike some of the others, who seemed to be willing me to step out of line, just so they could make their move. But tonight, if I could help it – and I refused to not to – they wouldn't get that pleasure. As soon as I had "satisfied my thirst", as Sam had so eloquently put, I'd be off their land and back to Forks to work out what to do. But now was not the time to think about that – my new advanced senses were picking up a new, much more appealing scent and I knew my hunt was nearly at an end.

I couldn't immediately identify what it was that caught my attention, but its aroma was light, not too heady or pungent, ruling out, I felt, bears and other such large mammals. The sound of quick, light footfalls, surely undetectable by human ears, confirmed my suspicions – a doe. It would do nicely. With a tangible target so close, my speed somehow increased and, before I knew it, my arms were tangled around the struggling creature's neck and my teeth had sunk into its thick hide. At first it wouldn't give up without a fight it seemed, but once my venom had infiltrated its blood stream, the poor beast could struggle no longer, leaving me to concentrate on finally quenching my thirst. And the blood certainly did quench it. Just the feel of the warmth, running down my throat, sent me into a frenzy of ecstasy and I gripped onto the creature even tighter, shattering some of its bones in the process. The taste was a thousand times better than the smell – it felt as if every cell in my body was screaming out in pleasure, lapping up every drop of the stuff in a fit of pure rapture. I could hear the deer's heartbeat thumping in my skull and too soon did it begin to slow, thinning the torrents of blood rushing from the gash in its throat, until it stopped all together and I threw its limp form from my grasp.

It wasn't enough.

I was quickly on the move again, barely a thought for the life I'd just taken. All that was on my mind was the source of my next meal and also, if a deer's blood had tasted so incredible, what would a human's taste like? I was so caught up in the moment, in the pure thrill of the hunt, that I didn't even reprimand myself for that thought. The idea genuinely sent a shiver of pleasure down my spine and if some sorry hiker had happened to cross my path then I very much doubted that I could have kept my promise to Jacob.

Luckily for him no such thing happened and I continued in search of my next victim. I passed plenty of small animals – rabbits, badgers, foxes – but none of them the kind of thing I was looking for. I had no idea how far I had travelled – I was still in one piece so I gathered that I hadn't strayed towards the town and incurred the wrath of the wolves. They had continued to keep a close watch on me, even when I had been feeding and, as soon as I was off again, they were there, running behind. Part of me wanted to turn and face them – to tear them limb from limb for even attempting to hinder me in the hunt – who the Hell did they think they were? I was a _force_ of nature, for God's sake, and those stupid boys, even if they did occasionally turn into over-grown puppies, were no match for me. With the doe's blood pumping through me I felt invincible – even against them combined I had no worries about my ability to beat them.

Resisting the urge to turn and fight, I kept on going, empowered by the fact that I was not tiring in the slightest, despite the speed at which I was moving, but rather the opposite – I was growing more and more invigorated by the second. It was so incredible not having to worry about things that would have once troubled me so much – aching limbs, loss of breath, stumbling over my own feet…I was free of all of them. It felt as if I had been released from the prison that was my human body – all those limits were gone and I felt as if there was nothing I couldn't achieve. I was dead yet I had never felt more alive – why had he wanted to keep me from this?

I smelled the deer – this time a large male – and was upon it even before it had a chance to lift its head from the stream from which it was drinking. It is safe to say that it did not disappoint – the intense pleasure pouring from the wound in its neck was just as satisfying as it had been the first time. And this one yielded up a lot more blood. As I drank the burning in my throat began to fade and I realise that my thirst was beginning to be satisfied. Once I had drained the animal, instead of continuing to hunt, I decided that I had had enough for now – I had regained some control over myself and, even though the thirst was always there, lingering in the back of my throat, I knew that I was no longer as much of a risk to humans. Or werewolves for that matter. For the first time since I had left Sam's – or whoever's – house I was in a clear enough state of mind to take in my surroundings. I was deep in the woods. I must have been miles from the La Push reserve – I was almost off their land. And as my location dawned on me, so did my situation.

This was real. This was all happening. I had just hunted down two deer to drink their blood…and I had wanted to do the same to humans. Humans like the people back in Forks, like Angela or Mike or Charlie –

Charlie. The image of my father flashed in my mind. I was never going to see him again – I was dead to him. I wracked my brains for a way around the situation, a way for Charlie to know I wasn't dead – well, at least in the way he would think I was – a way for him to accept what had happened to me. I was his _daughter_…maybe he'd find a way to live with me. At first he'd deny it was even happening, then he'd try to take me to hospital or, more likely, an institution…but eventually, just maybe, he'd accept what I was. I didn't know if I could lose him.

Everything was going to change. I was going to go through this alone.

I sat down on the forest floor and hugged my legs, burying my face against my knees. What I had once longed for so much was now real, but it wasn't the dream that I had imagined – no family waiting for me, no comforting arms to hold me. It was a nightmare.

Dry sobs wracked my chest and the lack of tears made it hit home. I was dead. I had died three days ago. And now I couldn't even cry.

Three days…a wave of despair fell on me as I thought of the agony that Charlie would have been going through for the past three days. He would have had no idea what had happened to me – had I run away? Had I been kidnapped? Had the bear got to me?

The bear.

My head snapped up at the thought of the missing hikers and the bear sightings. I would have bet anything at that moment that it hadn't been a bear that those hikers had seen, but perhaps one of the giant wolves that were laying in wait, surrounding me.

My initial thought was that it had been them – they had been the ones who had attacked the hikers, but then rationality kicked in. Jacob wasn't a killer. He _couldn't _be. His look of horror at the prospect of _me _attacking someone had been genuine – he wouldn't have looked like that if he already had several killings under his belt. So it wasn't the wolves that were responsible for the attacks…

I stood up and looked around me. I couldn't see them but I knew they were there. They weren't going any where until I got off their land.

"I want to talk to you!" My shout was not nearly as loud as it could have been – it didn't need it to be. I knew that the boys' hearing was much more advanced than that of ordinary humans.

Slowly four figures appeared between the trees, close enough for me to see them each clearly, but still at a safe distance. I noticed, with no embarrassment, that they were all naked, something that would have sent human Bella into a fit of hysterics.

"Have fun killing Bambi's mom?"

My head snapped towards the source of the sneer – Paul. I had to subdue the growl that was building up in my chest – I didn't want to fight them now. So instead I turned fully towards him and smiled sarcastically. "Like I believe _you're _a vegetarian."

His look of bemusement followed by anger made me laugh, as it did to a couple of the other boys to my great amusement. One of them I recognised as Embry, who had been Jacob's friend before he'd become mixed up with Sam. I guessed, rather bitterly, he and Jacob were friends again.

"Quiet." Sam's level voice silenced the boys and I turned towards him. His face was blank, no hint of emotions at all.

I stared at him, straight in the eye. "Laurent is dead." It wasn't a question.

"Laurent?" He asked, his voice still emotionless.

"The vampire in the meadow. The one who was..." I couldn't bring myself to say it. I scolded myself for acting so weakly in front of them.

Sam nodded in reply. "Yes, he's dead." Did I see a look of triumph momentarily flash across his face?

"Did you burn the remains?" I startled myself by thinking of such practicalities.

Sam's face definitely showed some emotions then. "We know how to kill vampires," he scoffed, exasperation showing clearly on his face.

I simply nodded. Laurent was dead. I didn't know if I felt good about it. I guess you could say that my death had been avenged, I thought sardonically.

"Was there anything else you wanted?" Sam was clearly getting impatient. He wanted me gone.

I firmly met his gaze – I wasn't going to be intimidated by him.

"There is no bear, is there?"

"Clever, aren't you?" I was finding it easier and easier to ignore Paul's 'witty' remarks. It was becoming clearer that, underneath all that impressive muscle, he was just a silly little boy.

Sam ignored him too. "No, there is no bear."

I sighed. That only left two options. "The missing hikers…was it Laurent?"

"No, that one was new to the area, we had never encountered him before."

I was silent. Who else could it have been? _Was _it the werewolves? Were these teenage boys, standing before me, all murderers? But that would have meant that Jacob…no, I wouldn't believe it.

"So if it wasn't Laurent, then who-"

"There is another vampire in the area. We have been tracking her, but she keeps evading us."

Victoria.

"The red-haired female?" Sam questioned me, taking a step closer. I hadn't realised that I had said her name out loud. Of course, how could I have been so stupid? She was the obvious answer.

I stared at Sam's face. He didn't want me to leave now – he wanted answers.

"Yes, that's Victoria. Laurent had told me that she was in the area." My voice was barely above a whisper now.

Sam came even closer. "Do you know what she wants? She's stayed in the area much longer than your kind normally do." There was a hint of desperation in his voice now – they were clearly running out of ideas of how to deal with her.

I looked away from him for the first time since we had started speaking. "I know what she wants." Or did I? Would her plans have changed now that _I_ was changed too?

Sam came right up to me, grabbing me by the shoulders. I didn't try to break away - I knew that he wasn't going to hurt me…not at this precise moment, anyway. "What? What does she want?"

I laughed grimly. "Well I guess she's got what she wanted. She wanted me dead."

Sam's eyes never left mine. "Why?"

I sighed, feeling the memories creeping up on me. "Last year…Edward…" Oh God, why did I say it? "…killed her mate, James. She wanted revenge. A mate for a mate." Although she would have been disappointed even if she's gotten to me before Laurent had – killing me wouldn't have bothered Edward nearly as much as she'd thought it would.

Sam didn't seem phased. "What will she do now?"

I honestly didn't know. "I…uh…maybe she'll leave once she finds out what's happened or if not then…"

Sam's eyes urged me on. "Then what?"

There was nothing else to do. I couldn't let her keep killing those people. "Then I'll leave."

Sam shook his head, letting me go and turning away. "That'll just take the killings elsewhere."

I sighed. Again, his irritating logic had bested me. "What do you suggest?"

Sam didn't reply. Paul, who had been silent for much longer than I had expected, stepped forward towards him, shooting a hateful glance in my direction. I almost wanted to laugh again – he was such a…a _teenager_.

"C'mon, Sam, she can't avoid us forever. If she wants to stay around Forks then we'll get her soon enough."

"Soon enough isn't good enough, Paul!" Sam shouted, startling both myself and Paul. I couldn't help feeling sorry for Sam, despite his title as my 'sworn enemy'. It was clear just how helpless he felt.

He turned back to me. "I don't trust you enough to leave the problem for you to sort out." Any sign of helplessness or desperation had vanished. "You are to go back to Forks, or where ever, as long as you stay _in the area_. Understand? If you stay here then so will she. It's gone past the point of wanting her to leave. She's got to be stopped. We'll deal with her."

Despite how unbelievable it was that he had just ordered me to stay _in _the area, it made sense. Anger and resentment was slowly but surely building up inside of me. The animal desire to kill was trying to break free – I wanted Victoria dead. Even if I had to get help from werewolves in order for it to happen. But I didn't like the idea of them sorting it out on their own. I knew now that I was more than capable of looking after myself.

"Fine," I replied, facing him straight on, "if you get to her then do what you like to her. But if _I_ find her first, then I'm going to kill her."

"Do you think you're capable of that?" I knew Paul couldn't keep his mouth shut for long.

I turned towards him, meeting his gaze. "Shall we put it to the test?"

I simply laughed off his furious growls and turned back towards Sam. He was far from laughing.

"Do you think you could actually face her alone?"

I thought about it seriously. I knew I was strong, but then again so was she. But the desire to rip her apart gave me confidence that I could at least match her in a fight.

"She wouldn't leave it alive." But neither might I, my mind added. That thought didn't frighten me. I'd die happy if I took Victoria with me.

Sam nodded. "Right. We both hunt her. I won't tolerate having you on our land – you're too much of a risk, despite what you've said." He glanced down at the carcass of the deer that I had discarded earlier.

I didn't argue. There was no point.

"But, the pact was only made with the Cullens, so nothing forbids us from going onto their old territory." He stared at me, waiting to see if I would object. His double standards angered me, but I knew that I wouldn't stop them from going to Forks so I nodded in assent.

He turned away from me, the rest of the pack doing likewise. Just before he had melted into the trees I saw him stop and turn. "I hope you understand that we're not doing this to protect you. We're doing it to protect the people that _your _kind is killing."

I flinched at his words, but didn't let my voice show it. "I never thought otherwise."

Just before he disappeared a thought crossed my mind. "Sam!"

He turned back, but didn't come closer.

"How's…how's Charlie?" My voice almost gave way.

"Billy has been staying with him. Most people think it was the bear, but Charlie refuses to believe it – we've been keeping an eye on him when he's been searching the woods."

Anguish ripped through my body. Charlie was never going to let it go.

"Thank you." I knew he could hear my whisper. They disappeared as soon as I'd said it and I was, once again, left alone in the woods.

I had to check on Charlie. I had to work out a way to let him know that I was dead, that there was no point looking and hoping.

I turned in the opposite direction to where the boys had gone and I started running. I was going back to Forks.

* * *

Thanks for reading :) Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

Note: Thank you all so much for all the reviews : ) I love reading them. Here is chapter 4. I won't be able to update regurlarly over the next week or so because I have exams and I really should get down to some revision. Enjoy this chapter - please read and review!

Disclaimer : see chapter 1.

* * *

I stood in front of the house, drinking in every detail of it, trying to savour the moment. I didn't know when I'd next come back here or if I even would. But I did know that I couldn't stay here - any fantasies of Charlie welcoming his newly-turned vampire daughter with open arms had long since vanished. But I wanted to see him, just one last time.

Before I knew it, I had scurried up the tree outside my bedroom, and launched myself at the window, somehow managing to open it and leap effortlessly through, in one swift movement. It was unbelievable just how _easy _it was – I had complete control over every muscle in my body. For the first time in my life, I was _graceful_. At that thought I laughed grimly to myself – graceful was never something I had imagined that I would be. Clumsiness and Bella Swan had gone hand in hand – you didn't get one without the other. Until now.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the room was the intoxicating scent of human blood. In the enclosed space of the house the scent was so intense that I felt my body instinctively go into predator mode – my muscles tightened, ready to spring, and fresh venom flowed to my mouth. My throat suddenly became agonisingly dry - it was as if I had never even touched those two deer, and the ache seemed to spread down to my stomach, making me almost bend double with the burning sensation. The scent, thick and enthralling, seemed to swirl around my head – I could barely think through it.

I dug the heels of my hands into my eyes, trying to force the violent images from my mind. Everything in me was screaming out for me to go straight across the hall and drink the human who lay there dry. My body _wanted _to do it. No, more than that – it _needed _it. It was what I was made for – I was a predator and humans were my prey.

Even Charlie?

I snapped open my eyes at the voice in my head. No…not Charlie. I wouldn't.

I staggered up, my inhuman grace almost leaving me completely as I made for the bed. I gripped at my stomach, curling up against my quilt, trying to silence the voice in my head that was telling me to kill and to think nothing of it. How did the Cullens go through life like this? It would be so easy just to give in…give into our nature…

But that wouldn't make it right.

So I stopped breathing. Somewhere from deep down in my mind – maybe the part of me that was still at least partially human – a voice whispered the advice that would maybe save Charlie's life – _don't breath_.

Immediately the intensity of the scent decreased and the thick haze in my brain began to disintegrate…I could resist. The thirst was still there, but I could resist it. I was not a complete monster.

I sat up and finally had a chance to look around me. Just for an instant I completely forgot about my thirst – all I could think about was the throbbing sense of regret that was spreading through my body. No matter how many bad memories were attached to this place, no matter how many sleepless nights had been endured in this room…it had still become my home. And now I was being forced to leave it. I was going to be leaving behind everything that was attached to my human life – just looking at the rocking chair in the corner sent a wave of anguish through my body. I had lost my human life, but I hadn't gained the new life that I had expected – I was dead to everyone.

I knew that I'd drive myself insane if I stayed here much longer so I focused on the practicalities, grabbing my duffel bag from the bottom of my closet and stuffing it full of some, but not many, of my clothes. Charlie wouldn't notice a few missing items, but he would certainly become suspicious if he found my cupboards empty. Part of me wanted to take sentimental things – photos, a cuddly toy or two – but I knew that I had to leave it all behind. It would hurt more to keep it and I just had to keep telling myself that.

As I was opening my underwear drawer, I caught sight of my reflection for the first time since the change. I looked wild. My face was streaked with dirt and blood…my clothes were torn and sullied…my hair was tangled and littered with leaves and twigs. I looked like Victoria – feral and animalistic – nothing like a human anymore.

I leant in closer, studying my face, as if I had never seen it before – I never _had _seen this face before. My eyes were as black as pitch, but I had been expecting that. No, what startled me the most was my skin. I had been pale before but this was unnatural – none of the Cullens had been this pale. It was almost translucent, much like when I was human, but now there was no flush of colour beneath the surface – it was just white. It reminded me of bone china tea cups – the kind that were so thin, you thought that you'd break them just by holding them. Except my skin didn't look breakable – it seemed as if nothing could mar it. I had been lucky to have avoided teenage blemishes for the most part, but now my skin was flawless. I could have been a marble statue. Furthermore, it seemed to take on an ethereal glow in the darkness, something I had never noticed about the others. Maybe they hadn't been as pale, as humans, as I had been.

The only things that broke the sheer whiteness of my complexion were the familiar dark circles beneath my eyes. I definitely hadn't eaten enough.

I picked up the brush from my dresser and began to run it through my matted hair. It untangled _a lot _more easily than it used to. Within less than a minute it was perfectly tidy and I could finally see what it looked like without the addition of half a forest. It was…_nice_…if that was possible. There was a glossy sheen to it that had never been there before and it seemed to fall naturally around my shoulders in elegant waves. Again, I would have _never _put the words 'elegant' and 'Bella Swan' together in a sentence before tonight. Everything had changed so much.

I straightened up and swung my bag over my shoulder. It was time to leave.

I stepped out of my room, for probably the last time, and slowly made my way across the landing to Charlie's room. I still wasn't breathing – a sensation that was oddly uncomfortable, but it was the only thing that was keeping the predator in me at bay. But even so, as I approached his door, my throat began to burn once more and I had to focus all my energy on simply remembering that it was my _father _that was lying on the other side of the door.

I knew he was asleep – I could hear his deep and regular breathing. But he wasn't sleeping soundly. Even a human would have been able to hear him tossing about in his bed, muttering incomprehensible murmurs – I had been able to hear it from outside. I carefully pushed the door open, even though I knew that he would never be able to detect my presence. He was sprawled out, still clothed, on top of his bed. He had aged almost twenty years in just three days. His face was haggard and grey – none of than boyishness that he had managed to retain into middle age…this was destroying him.

I couldn't look anymore. I turned and fled down the stairs, barely noticing that Billy was fast asleep on the couch. I could only imagine how he would have reacted to seeing me this way, but I knew that it wouldn't have been pleasant. I wondered if he knew that the Jacob was a…a werewolf. He probably did. If Billy believed in vampires then it would make sense for him to believe in werewolves too and it didn't seem like something that Jacob would have been able to disguise for long.

I went into the kitchen, making sure not to glance at the school photos that Charlie had insisted on keeping up, and picked up the phone to dial Jacob's number. I had to sort this out.

I was glad that Billy was here – there was no way that I would have been able to speak to Jacob is he had picked up. I would have had to hang up straight away.

The phone seemed to ring for a life time before someone picked up and all the while I could feel my insides gnawing away at themselves. The scary thing was that I didn't know whether it was through hunger or grief.

"Hello?" Jacob's gruff voice brought me a mixture of relief and fear.

I took a deep breath, for the first time since I had been in my bedroom. The haze began to envelope my mind again, but I somehow I was managing to fight off the full force of it. "Jacob."

He knew who it was immediately. "Bella? Are you ok? Where are you? I've been-"

He stopped short, obviously remembering what I was and what that meant in regards to what _he _was.

"None of that matters, Jake. I know I have no right to ask this, but I need your help." I didn't know who else might even consider hearing me out.

"What?" There was a coldness behind his voice that hurt more than I had thought possible.

"It's about Charlie…not knowing what has happened to me is tearing him apart." I was hoping that Jacob would be sympathetic to this – he had always liked Charlie. "If he thinks I've run away, he'll always be looking for me. The only thing that's left is for him to think – no, to _know_ – that I'm dead."

Jacob didn't reply. But it was obvious what he was thinking – telling Charlie that I was dead would be the truth.

"Most people think that it was the bear, so that's the logical thing to go with." I had no idea how I was even thinking at this point, let alone logically. "I'm going back up to the meadow – I'm going to leave some shreds of my clothing among the blood…it will pass off as a bear attack."

Jacob finally replied, but not with what I was hoping for. "And why are you telling me about this?"

I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "I want you to be the one who discovers it. Charlie knows nothing about the meadow and there's no way for me to let him know that he should look there…"

Jacob was silent for almost an eternity. I hated having to ask this of him, but I didn't know what else to do.

I was almost surprised when he replied – I had expected the silence to go on forever. "You want me to be the one to discover you…dead?"

"Yes – well, no. There won't be a…a body obviously, but the…uh…the evidence will speak for itself, as they say." Was I trying to be _funny_ at a time like this? Maybe I hadn't lost all of my human traits – stupidity was still there in full force.

Again, he took longer than I would have liked to reply. I honestly had no idea what he would say.

"Please, Jake. If not for me, then do it for Charlie…and for what we once had, before all this…"

I could hear him sigh. "Ok. I'll do it. Tomorrow."

That was it. By tomorrow I would be officially dead.

"Thank you," I whispered. "Please look after him, Jacob. Help him see that he has to let me go." I wasn't just talking about Charlie.

The line went dead. But I could imagine his reaction. The roar would have been deafening.

* * *

I reached the meadow just as the sky was beginning to grow pale – the night was nearly over. Had it only been one night since I had awoken? Surely it was a lifetime? Just one night…and I had an eternity of nights to get through.

This place held only horror for me now – it wasn't the same place that I had experienced so much love…it was a place of death now.

Laurent's remains had been removed – only a charred circle of grass gave any clue to what had happened here.

But they hadn't been able to remove the blood. And I knew, with sickening realisation, that it was my blood. There was so much of it. It stained the grass – grass that I had once lain upon, revelling in the beauty of the boy who lay besides me – making the whole place look like a scene out of a horror movie.

If only it had only been a movie.

I took off my sweater and proceeded to rip strips of it off and scatter them across the scene. They were already covered in blood – Laurent had given me that much, I thought bitterly.

There was nothing left in this place for me. In just a few hours Jacob would raise the alarm and I would just become a name in a tragic story – young girl, daughter of small town police chief, mauled to death by bear.

I'd be missed, but the mystery would end tomorrow. I'd just disappear.

* * *

I ran my hands through the soft, waist-high ferns, as I walked slowly towards the house. The early morning light was unable to filter through the canopies of the six enormous cedars that shaded most of the clearing - not that it would have made much difference, what with the dark rain clouds over head. The forest had taken over even more so than it had when I had last visited, nearly two months ago. It made the whole place suitably wild and creepy – fitting for its last inhabitants. And the new one for that matter.

I didn't want to be here, but it was the only place in the area that I could stay. Well, the only place that even partially resembled a human abode, as opposed to slumming it in the woods, like an animal. It was ironic that I was coming to this place, of all places, in search of something human, I noted grimly

The house itself had changed little, something I had noticed the last time I had ventured out here. It seemed to be able to withstand the effects of time – the paint hadn't begun to peel, there were no broken windows or cracked timbers…it was as if the house itself was trying to hold onto memories of a happier time, a time when it didn't seem so _lonely_. But that was all that was left of the place – memories. Apart from that it was utterly empty of life, completely devoid of any sense of their presence…

_It will be as if I'd never existed…_

I tried to ignore his words echoing through my mind, as I made my way slowly up the porch stairs, not know what to expect when I pushed open the door. I hadn't gotten this far the last time – I had known then that if I had entered the house I would have been back in my catatonic state before I had crossed the threshold. It would have been too much. But now I had nothing to lose. And anyway, a catatonic state would have been more than welcome.

I carefully pushed open the door, noticing a creak that hadn't been there before. Maybe the house wasn't so immune to the battering of time. As soon as I saw the interior of the house, a sob caught in my throat and grief racked my body...it was exactly the same.

They hadn't taken anything. All the furniture stood exactly where it had been when I had last been here – my birthday, when everything had gone wrong. The only noticeable difference was that every surface was covered in a thick layer of dust, made even more obvious by the fact that almost everything in this large room was white. I heard the floorboards groan beneath my feet, as I crossed the room to the huge window, careful not to look to my left, knowing what would be still there. The sound made the place even more eerie – it was definitely like something out of a ghost story.

You should feel right at home then, a bitter voice called out in my mind. My death would be announced anytime now, after all.

I stood in front of the south facing wall, which had been entirely replaced by a window, and looked out over the lawn, which was now no less than a wilderness. I could see the river, snaking its way through the woods, at the end of the clearing and then onto the never-ending forest beyond. Weak rays of sunlight were desperately trying to break their way through the ominous clouds that filled the sky, but they were failing, leaving the entire room dim and bleak – so different to how it used to seem.

I turned away from the window, so I could obverse the room in its entirety. There was no sense of there having been a last minute panic or a rush to pack things away – they had simply got up and left. Nothing had tied them down to this place. Least of all me.

I finally let my gaze fall on the grand piano, which lay to my right, and immediately the well known melody flooded my brain. It was if he was in the room playing the lullaby for me, just as he had the first time I came here.

Anguish made me run across the room and up the sweeping staircase – I had to get away from that piano…that sound…

When I reached the top of the stairs I stood at the end of the panelled hallway. What now? Did I want to go any further?

The rational part in me realised that these rooms wouldn't be so unchanged – they would have taken things like clothes and books maybe. My suspicions were confirmed, when I looked to the end of the hall and saw that Carlisle's cross was missing. It made the house seem even emptier – it was a sure sign that they really were gone.

Without realising it, I had started walking down the hall, passing rooms that probably would have been more sensible options than the one to which I was heading. I passed Carlisle's office, feeling no inclination to check what was left inside – that one probably would have been the emptiest. He would have accumulated things over his three and a half centuries of life that he probably wanted to keep hold of – other things he, and the others, would have happily left behind.

I finally reached the end of the hall and stood in front of the closed door. I knew I shouldn't go in there, but some part of me – an extremely masochistic part – made me raise my hand and gently push the door open.

I had not expected the scene which lay before me.

The heavy golden fabric, which hung on the walls, was shredded and torn…the vast CD collection covered the floor, cases smashed, disks broken…even the leather sofa had been slashed at, leaving the stuffing pouring out, like blood from a wound. It looked like a tornado had passed through the place. Or an angry vampire.

He had taken nothing, but he had left nothing behind intact.

Why had he done this? What had driven him to this fit of rage? Surely not me…he had told me he didn't want me.

Of course he didn't want me. He probably just felt guilty that's all. He could get new things where ever he went so why worry about smashing up a few CD's?

Now that I was here, I could no longer ignore the thoughts that had been trying to invade my mind since I had woken up the night before. Even if he didn't want me, I still wanted him…I wanted Edward with everything in me and more.

I allowed myself to say his name now – what did I have to lose? Here I was – a vampire, alone and unwanted, standing in the bedroom of the man who had broken my heart. More like removed my heart completely and taken it with him, just to prolong the agony.

I curled up on the tattered leather sofa, drawing my knees in against my body, trying beyond reason to think of a way to fill the gaping whole in my chest. The wound was throbbing with such intensity that it made me dizzy. I knew that this pain wasn't through hunger – I had hunted before I had come here, gorging myself on blood until I thought I would burst. I wanted to stay here as long as possible, not leaving until it was absolutely necessary. But even if I hadn't hunted, I would have still known that this pain wasn't due to my thirst. That pain was nothing compared to the agony I was feeling now, my cheek pressed against the cold leather, my senses trying desperately to pick up any lingering scent that might have been left behind.

But there was nothing. He was lost to me.

* * *

I lay there for hours, desperately trying to squeeze out just a few tears to express my grief. But none came – I would never be able to cry again. There was no reason for me to move – what was left for me to do except sit here? I felt no urge to go and hunt down Victoria and satisfy my earlier desire to rip her to shreds. What was the point? She'd find me eventually and would her getting her wish be such a bad thing? There was nothing left in me to claim that it was.

Pale sunlight slowly trickled through the glass wall, creating a dappled effect across the floor, causing the shattered CDs and their cases to glitter like feeble jewels. Slowly, as the day drew on, the sunlight began to creep across the room, towards where I sat. I wanted it to stop. I wanted the rain clouds to come back. The sun wasn't strong, but I still didn't want to see what it did to my skin. I didn't want to think about what was happening.

I buried my face against the sofa, longing for the ability to sleep. Even if I dreamt, unconsciousness would still be better than this. And I still had an eternity to get through.

Despite my distracted state of mind, my senses were still able to pick up the alien scent which had suddenly invaded the room. I sat up immediately, my muscles coiled, instinctively ready to fight if needs be. It would only be a fight, not a hunt. The scent wasn't human – it was vampire.

I carefully stood up, careful not to make a sound. But I quickly realised that that was useless – the vampire would have picked up my scent just as quickly as I had picked its up.

From what I could tell, it was still outside the house, but it was definitely making its way towards it. I didn't recognise the smell, but then again, I had never actually smelt another vampire with my new, heightened senses so it could have been anyone.

But who else would it be apart from Victoria? She had finally found me.

I quickly left the room, and ran smoothly to the end of the hall, and into Rosalie and Emmett's old room. I didn't bother to look to see what state it was in, that was the last thing on my mind at the moment. I knew that I couldn't take Victoria by surprise, but at least I could use the advantage of attacking her at the top of the stairs. If I managed to push her down them, it would give me a few moments, if only briefly, to launch myself upon her when she was slightly stunned.

I stood just inside the room, leaving the door open. I knew that she had entered the house now, but she was moving a lot more slowly than I would have thought. She had seemed like the type for a quick and forceful offensive, but she seemed just as cautious as I was.

Finally I could smell her climbing the stairs. This was it. Time to fight or die, Bella. Any thoughts of letting her just kill me had vanished – once again I was a predator and it was in my nature to try to survive.

I could feel the anger building up inside of me and, for some reason, it seemed to be centred in my forehead. It felt like something thudding against my skull, trying to escape. It was almost painful, and for just a moment I was nearly thrown off guard. Before I could try to comprehend what was happening, my senses picked up the fact that the vampire had reached the top of the stairs.

I flew out of the room and, without me being able to even register who stood before me, the pulsing anger in my skull had built up to such an intensity that it somehow managed to burst out, the unknown power flinging the vampire down the stairs and making me grasp my head in agony. It felt as if my skull had been cleaved in two as the energy had sought to escape, leaving me to try and hold it together.

But the pain quickly faded, leaving me dazed and not knowing what the Hell had just happened. I slowly stood up, steadying myself against the banister. My first thoughts were to wonder why I wasn't covered in blood, after my head had been sliced open, but once I had realised that I was still in one piece, my thoughts turned to the figure who lay sprawled out at the bottom of the stairs.

She was slowly getting up too, obviously stunned by the attack of unknown origins. It took me a moment to comprehend what I was seeing.

It wasn't Victoria.

The figure raised her head – a head of dark hair, cropped short and pointing in every direction – and she stared up at me.

I froze. I think my heart stopped beating.

"Bella?"

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it. Please review it - constructive criticism is always welcome too!

Here, I have hinted at Bella's power - it might seem a bit random at the moment, but I will explain it in the next chapter or so. : )


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